Worth the Climb
by artandatrocity
Summary: A few months following their wedding, Blaine and Kurt visit the Anderson's summer house for a few days. Blaine is eager to show Kurt around the expanse of woods which hold so many happy childhood memories for him. Though Kurt is reluctant to venture in to nature, he gives in to his husband's whims and finds himself pleasantly surprised.


Shortly following Blaine and Kurt's engagement, the Anderson family resigned themselves to the fact that Kurt would soon be their son-in-law. Now, the summer after the wedding, Blaine's parents still weren't overly warm toward his husband but they were getting there. They invited the couple to spend a few days with them at their second home in Upstate New York during summer break, which the men saw as an olive branch they would be foolish to refuse. Besides, Blaine was eager to share this place that held so many fond memories for him.

While packing the evening before setting off on their min-vacation Blaine turned to his husband, who was deep in thought about what clothes to take along.

"Kurt, you probably want to pack a set of play clothes."

Kurt paused in his perusal of the shirts lined up in his closet to look at Blaine incredulously.

"Seriously, 'play clothes?' Did I marry a five year old?"

Blaine's only response was to pout petulantly.

"Ok, ok," Kurt laughed out breathily, "but you know the closest I get to 'play clothes' are yoga pants and tank tops. Why are you saying I need them, anyway?"

"Well there's a large wooded area near the house that I used to spend a lot of time in. I hoped I could show you around," Blaine explained.

"I don't know," Kurt said, nose wrinkling a bit, "I'm not exactly nature's biggest fan. I don't think I own anything that I'd feel comfortable wearing near tree sap."

Blaine considered this for a moment before suggesting,

"How about I pack something of mine for you to wear? It's not like anyone except _maybe_ my parents will see you underdressed."

Kurt felt wary of this idea. The thought of anyone but himself taking charge of his wardrobe made his palms sweat with nerves. Though when he thought through the scenario, it was indeed true that they'd be alone, plus he knew Blaine's wardrobe as well as his own and didn't think there was anything too awful that he could end up wearing.

"Alright, I trust you," Kurt conceded.

That conversation took place three days ago and, right now, Kurt regretted little else in life as much as he regretted agreeing to Blaine's idea. Their second morning in the country dawned and Blaine lay out the expendable clothes he brought along for Kurt to wear. While accepting of the old polo shirt that was recently retired from Blaine's wardrobe, at the sight of the second garment Kurt put his foot down.

"No. Absolutely not," Kurt said firmly, staring in horror at the article Blaine held out in front of him, "I refuse."

"They're not _that_ bad," Blaine pleaded, brandishing a pair of old, ratty jeans that were cut off at the knees.

Kurt stared at him as though he had just suggested that plaid and paisley were a perfectly acceptable pattern combination. The expression did not go unnoticed by Blaine who immediately tried a different tact.

"Ok fine, they're pretty bad. But like I said, _no one_ but me will see them, and it's these or you wear one of your pairs of expensive couture." Kurt still looked unconvinced, so Blaine sighed and added, "And I promise to burn these before we go home."

Kurt took a moment to consider this, obviously torn between forcing himself to put on the offending pants and the promise of said pants leaving this world forever after he took them off. Finally, he nodded.

"Fine, but first I want to watch you put the camera in the car, lock it and hand me the keys."

Blaine grinned, relieved that Kurt came around to donning the least Kurt-ish outfit imaginable.

"Deal!"

45 minutes later the pair strolled hand in hand under the shade of tall trees, following old paths that only Blaine recognized. Kurt was terrified of getting lost because the scenery appeared the same to him no matter which direction he looked, but he trusted that Blaine knew where he was going. As they walked Blaine pointed out various plants and animals, displaying a side that was entirely new to his husband. Never once in all their time together had Kurt heard Blaine talk about nature, or even so much as identify a dandelion. His enthusiasm was adorable to witness and helped Kurt forget his discomfort in such foreign surroundings.

That is, until they arrived at the base of a particularly tall tree and Blaine instructed him to look up.

Nestled amongst the uppermost branches was a haphazardly built structure. The base comprised of different lengths and widths of lumber planks, giving it an unnervingly uneven appearance. On top of that were four sheets of warped plywood, one of which had a rough oval cut into barely big enough for an adult to crawl through. These walls (and Kurt used the word 'walls' loosely in this case) were covered with an equally beaten-up piece of plywood, forming an enclosure. Jagged pieces of large, split logs were nailed at one foot intervals all the way up to the opening, acting as a ladder of sorts.

When Blaine excitedly encouraged Kurt to follow him up the tree, Kurt stood with his feet firmly planted on the ground, arms crossed and looking extremely doubtful.

"I would like to state for the record that I think this is a terrible idea and if I die it's all on you."

He huffed when Blaine had the audacity to laugh in response.

"C'mon, Kurt. I used to play up here all the time when I was a kid."

"Exactly, when you were a kid. How many years has it been since then?"

Blaine moved forward to scoop Kurt in to his arms and kiss him soundly.

"Baby, I would never, ever put you in danger. Trust me?"

Kurt was powerless against the force of Blaine's sweet words and loving eyes. He nodded and began following Blaine up the ladder to the tree house. Even if Kurt was terrified, at least he had a fantastic view of his husband's ass to take his mind off things.

When he finally reached the top and cautiously climbed through the crude opening, Kurt gasped at the sight waiting for him.

A plush red blanket covered the floor, piled with an array of brightly colored cushions. In the middle of everything sat an elegant tea set arranged around a vase of wildflowers that accentuated the delicate floral pattern of the china. Kurt sat unmoving on his knees for an indeterminate number of seconds, positively dumbfounded. He looked to Blaine, who sat off to the side, blushing and beaming as he said,

"I just thought, since you're experiencing one of my favorite childhood memories, maybe we could combine it with one of yours."

A tea party. Blaine had set up a tea party. For Kurt.

Shuffling forward as quickly as possible, Kurt tackled Blaine in to one of the piles of pillows, kissing any part of his face that was easily accessibly before finally finding his love's lips. Eventually he pulled away, slightly breathless.

"When," Kurt questioned, "when did you do all this? I've been with you this whole time."

Blaine smiled slyly.

"I woke up around 5:00am this morning and started dragging all of this out here to set up." He gestured to the corner where a small cooler and a thermos sat. "But my mom deserves some of the credit. She made and packed the food for us."

At the mention of Mrs. Anderson's part in the scheme, Kurt felt tears form in the corners of his eyes. The fact that she helped Blaine plan a romantic gesture for another man spoke volumes about her progress in accepting her son's relationship— her acceptance of Kurt.

Blaine saw the wetness glazing over the other man's eyes and pulled Kurt close again. Kurt didn't need words to express how much this kindness meant for both of them because Blaine understood just as much, if not more, than Kurt.

They clung to one another for several minutes, each taking time to process their emotions. Blaine broke the embrace, pulling away as both men swiped at their own cheeks to wipe away trickles of tears. Kurt offered a watery smile that Blaine returned before softly saying,

"We should, um, we should pour that tea soon. The thermos is quality, but it has been sitting out here for almost five hours."

Kurt chuckled, settling in to other heap of cushions as Blaine performed the entire tea service. After setting out plates of finger sandwiches and delicate pastries he served the tea, along with appropriate servings of cream and sugar. When everything was set the two men began nibbling and sipping, the topics of conversation covering a remarkably wide range. They discussed silly things such as Rachel's relationship drama and Cassandra July's latest scandal. However they also delved deeper, fantasizing about their future. There was talk of where they might eventually settle down and buy a house, how many children they wanted and how said kids would come into their life, and when they hoped such things might occur.

Long after their cups were drained and plates cleared, the couple lay comfortably atop a consolidated pile of cushions. Their bodies relaxed against one another, occasionally weaving their fingers together or nuzzling closer into each other's bodies. They exchanged thoughts as easily as they exchanged lazy kisses, losing themselves in one another and in dreams of all the possibilities awaiting them. At one point Kurt peered out of a large rectangle sawed in one of the plywood walls, offering an unobstructed view of a cloudless summer sky. He saw the vast stretch of blue, all that much closer to him at this moment because he dared to follow the man he loved, and found comfort in it. Often he was similar to any human; fearing the expansive unknown. However at this moment Kurt finally understood the thrill of exploring such heightened territory, because he trusted that Blaine would never let him fal**l.**


End file.
